Hiroaki Takaya

{{Infobox NPB player

| name = Hiroaki Takaya

| image = HAWKS12-TAKAYA.jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption = Takaya with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

| position = Catcher / Coach

| team = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

| number = 84

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|11|13}}

|birth_place = Oyama, Tochigi, Japan

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

| debutleague = NPB

| debutdate = April 17

| debutyear = 2007

| debutteam = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

| finalleague = NPB

| finaldate = October 25

| finalyear = 2021

| finalteam = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

| statyear = 2021 season

| statleague = NPB

| stat1label = Batting average

| stat1value = .194

| stat2label = Home runs

| stat2value = 10

| stat3label = RBI

| stat3value = 101

| stat4label = Hits

| stat4value = 201

| stat5label = Stolen base

| stat5value = 1

| stat6label = Sacrifice bunt

| stat6value = 53

| teams =

As player

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks ({{npby|2007}}–{{npby|2021}})

As coach

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks ({{npby|2022}}–present)

| awards =

6× Japan Series Champion (2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019)

}}

Hiroaki Takaya (高谷裕亮, born November 13, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher, and currently the first squad battery coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

He previously played for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Professional career

On November 21, 2006, Takaya was drafted by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the 2006 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.:ja:2006年度新人選手選択会議 (日本プロ野球)

=2007–2010 season=

On April 17, 2007, he debuted in the Pacific League against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.{{Cite web|date=April 17, 2007|url=http://www.tbs.co.jp/baseball/pastgame/20070417KH01d.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005181740/http://www.tbs.co.jp/baseball/pastgame/20070417KH01d.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 5, 2007|title=4月17日(火) 楽天 vs ソフトバンク～フルスタ宮城～|language=ja-JP|work=TBS Radio Excite Baseball (archive)|access-date=October 30, 2019}} In 2007 season, he finished the regular season in 12 games with a Batting average of .130 and a RBI of 5.

In the 2008 season, he played as a starting member from July 8 in the second half of the season. On July 17, he recorded his first Home run and walk-off hit.{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/p-bb-tp0-20080717-384822.html|title=Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) 打てる捕手へ、ソフトＢ高谷独り舞台|language=ja-JP|work=Nikkan Sports|date=July 17, 2008|access-date=October 30, 2019}} And he finished the regular season in 62 games with a batting average of .180, 2 home runs and a RBI of 13.

On April 3, 2009, he played as a starting member in the opening game for the first time.{{cite web|url=https://www.softbankhawks.co.jp/gamelive/stats/2009040301/|title=Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks news Game report (Japanese) 2009/04/03（金）福岡ソフトバンク vs オリックス|language=ja-JP|work=Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site|date=April 3, 2009|access-date=October 30, 2019}}

=2011–2015 season =

In the 2011 season, Takaya was selected as the Japan Series roster in the 2011 Japan Series.{{cite web|url=http://npb.jp/nippons/2011/roster_h.html|title=Nippon Professional Baseball (Japanese) コナミ日本シリーズ2011 出場資格者福岡ソフトバンクホークス|language=ja-JP|work=NPB.jp|access-date=October 30, 2019}}

In the 2012 season, he finished the regular season in 64 games with a batting average of .211 and a RBI of 10.

In the 2014 season, he joined the First squad as a reserve catcher, but played only 20 games. But he was selected as the Japan Series roster in the 2014 Japan Series.{{cite web|url=http://npb.jp/nippons/2014/roster_h.html|title=Nippon Professional Baseball (Japanese) SMBC日本シリーズ2014 出場資格者福岡ソフトバンクホークス|language=ja-JP|work=NPB.jp|access-date=October 30, 2019}}

On May 31, 2015, Takaya recorded a home run for the first time in seven years.{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/1485574.html|title=Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトＢ高谷７年ぶり弾工藤監督「貴重な本塁打」|language=ja-JP|work=Nikkan Sports|date=June 1, 2015|access-date=October 30, 2019}} In 2015 season, he finished the regular season in 93 games with a batting average of .234, one home runs and a RBI of 16. And he played as a starting member in the 2015 Japan Series.{{cite web|url=http://npb.jp/bis/scores/nipponseries/boxscore2015_1.html|title=Nippon Professional Baseball (Japanese) 2015年度SMBC日本シリーズ試合結果（第1戦）|language=ja-JP|work=NPB.jp|access-date=October 30, 2019}}

=2016–2021 season =

On July 6, 2016, Takaya had surgery on the left knee meniscus.{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/1673231.html|title=Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトバンク高谷が左膝半月板手術復帰まで２カ月|language=ja-JP|work=Nikkan Sports|date=July 4, 2016|access-date=October 30, 2019}} In the 2016 season, he played only in 37 games due to his left knee injury.

In the 2017 season, he mainly teamed up with mainstay and veteran starter pitchers such as Tsuyoshi Wada, Rick van den Hurk, Shota Takeda and Kenichi Nakata. On June 10, he broke his right middle finger but returned in July.{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/1838267.html|title=Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトバンク高谷ボール直撃で右手中指を骨折|language=ja-JP|work=Nikkan Sports|date=June 10, 2017|access-date=October 30, 2019}} he finished the regular season in 92 games with a batting average of .206, one home runs and a RBI of 20. In the 2017 Japan Series, he recorded a block of Stolen base twice in 1 inning, a Japan Series record alongside Toru Hosokawa, and contributed to the 2017 Japan Series champion.{{cite web|url=https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nsp/item/n/370405/|title=Nishinippon Shimbun Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトＢ高谷１イニング２度盗塁阻止打っては２点適時打|language=ja-JP|work=Nishinippon Shimbun|date=November 1, 2017|access-date=October 30, 2019}}

On February 27, 2018, Takaya had surgery on the right elbow.{{cite web|url=https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nsp/item/n/400158/|title=Nishinippon Shimbun Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトＢ明石、高谷リハビリ組順調|language=ja-JP|work=Nishinippon Shimbun|date=March 30, 2018|access-date=October 30, 2019}}

He was diagnosed with 3 months of complete cure, but he returned on April 17.{{cite web|url=https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nsp/item/n/409409/|title=Nishinippon Shimbun Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトＢ高谷８回からマスク「スっと入れた」１軍スピード復帰|language=ja-JP|work=Nishinippon Shimbun|date=April 18, 2018|access-date=October 30, 2019}} he finished the regular season in 73 games with a batting average of .173, one home runs and a RBI of 4. In the 2018 Japan Series, he recorded his first home run in the Japan series.{{cite web|url=https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nsp/item/n/461683/|title=Nishinippon Shimbun Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトＢ高谷シリーズ１号広島驚異の反撃でコーチ「あの一本大きかった」|language=ja-JP|work=Nishinippon Shimbun|date=October 31, 2018|access-date=October 30, 2019}}

In the 2019 season, he started the bench mainly to support young catcher Takuya Kai and Relief pitchers, and contributed to the team as a relief catcher.{{cite web|url=https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nsp/item/n/524461/|title=Nishinippon Shimbun Sports baseball news (Japanese) 勝率.762 試合に出れば負けない「高谷神話」／プロ野球番記者コラム|language=ja-JP|work=Nishinippon Shimbun|date=July 5, 2019|access-date=October 30, 2019}} And he also played as a relief catcher in the 2019 Japan Series.

In the 2020 season, Takaya mainly supported the pitcher as a relief catcher and finished the regular season with a batting average of .250, 2 home runs and 10 RBIs in 33 games. On October 13, he left the team for treatment given the condition of his left knee, which had been injured in the past.{{cite web|url=https://www.sanspo.com/baseball/news/20201013/haw20101318590002-n1.html|title=Sankei Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトB・工藤監督、高谷抹消で甲斐の奮起に期待|language=ja-JP|work=Sankei Sports|date=October 13, 2020|access-date=December 21, 2020}}

In the 2021 season, he was forced to adjust from April to July due to last year's left knee surgery, which meant he played only 20 games.{{cite news|url=https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nsp/item/n/774372/|title=Nishinippon Sports baseball news 39歳の高谷が1軍合流手術の左膝「もう大丈夫」|language=ja-JP|newspaper=Nishinippon Shimbun|date=July 22, 2021|accessdate=December 1, 2022}} Takaya decided to retire after the 2021 season.{{cite news|url=https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nsp/item/n/825025/|title=Nishinippon Sports baseball news ソフトバンク39歳高谷が引退会見「時がきたのかな」2軍バッテリーコーチに就任|language=ja-JP|newspaper=Nishinippon Shimbun|date=November 1, 2021|accessdate=December 1, 2022}}

=After retirement=

After his retirement, Takaya has served as the second squad battery coach for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks since the 2022 season.

On December 2, 2023, he was transferred to the first squad battery coach.{{cite web|url=https://www.softbankhawks.co.jp/news/detail/202300450723.html|title=Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks press release 2023/12/02 (土) プレスリリース 2024年コーチングスタッフについて|language=ja-JP|website=Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site|date=December 2, 2023|access-date=December 5, 2023}}

Personal

Takaya has close friends with foreign players, and when they return to their home countries, he goes to the Fukuoka Airport to see them off.{{cite web|url=https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/hawks/article/371424/|title=Nishinippon Shimbun Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトＢ助っ投２人、視線もう来季|language=ja-JP|work=Nishinippon Shimbun|date=November 6, 2017|access-date=October 30, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/201811060000723.html|title=Nikkan Sports Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトバンクのデスパイネ帰国、高谷「膝を治せよ」|language=ja-JP|work=Nikkan Sports|date=November 6, 2018|access-date=October 30, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/201910260000961.html|title=Nikkan Sports Sports baseball news (Japanese) ひげそったソフトバンク高谷、ミランダとハグし別れ|language=ja-JP|work=Nikkan Sports|date=October 26, 2019|access-date=October 30, 2019}}

References

External links

[https://npb.jp/bis/players/41045114.html Career statistics - NPB.jp] {{in lang|ja}}
[https://www.softbankhawks.co.jp/team/player/detail/2024_00001486.html?lang=en 84 Hiroaki Takaya PLAYERS2024] - Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site

Category:1981 births

Category:Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players

Category:Japanese baseball coaches

Category:Japanese baseball players

Category:Living people

Category:Nippon Professional Baseball coaches

Category:Nippon Professional Baseball catchers

Category:Baseball people from Tochigi Prefecture